Put Your Arms Around Me
by blacksolace346
Summary: I never really knew my mother. All I did know about her was that some time after she gave birth to me, she left my father and I in search of “true love“. She left behind a heartbroken husband and a baby girl in need of a mother. [full summary inside. seri
1. DISCLAIMER

Put Your Arms Around Me

Mkay, I don't own these characters either. At least all the ones from Harry Potter. The ones that may or may not be as cool and you don't recognize, yeah those are the ones that I made. Yeah. But not all my people can be as cool as HP. But hey, I'm no J.K. Rowling…..

Hehe…my full summary for my SECOND FANFIC!

"I never really knew my mother. All I did know about her was that some time after she gave birth to me, she left my father and I in search of "true love". She left behind a heart-broken husband and a baby girl in need of a mother." Lily is a slave in her own house-hold, forced to work for her own mother. Little does she know that with a simple visit to Sirius, her best friend's house, her whole life will change.


	2. prologue

Prologue

I never really knew my mother. All I did know about her was that some time after she gave birth to me, she left my father and I in search of "true love". She left behind a heart-broken husband and a baby girl in need of a mother. Although I've never forgiven her of that crime, I suppose that after a while I forgot about her. It took some time, but with the arrival of my best friend, Sirius- son of Count Cedric, I slowly began to feel wanted once again. One would be hard-pressed to find a time when we weren't together.

My father, being a merchant, was often out and I was left to manage our estate by myself, but despite this, we were very close. His best friend, the count, had made a promise to my father many years ago that if anything should befall him, he would care for the estate and me. The count and I both were sure that nothing would occur to such a strong and brave man, but, unfortunately, we were wrong.

Not long after his 31st birthday, when I was barely 7, a serious disease came upon him and he passed away within the month. Count Cedric kept his word and tried to be a father figure for me. For the following 3 years he and Sirius spent most of their free time easing the pain that accompanied my father's death. During this time the bond between Sirius and I grew and intensified. He, too, had never known his mother because she had died giving him birth. The time of peace appeared to be never-ending until the day we got an interesting visitor. She seemed familiar, what with her emerald eyes that almost completely matched my own. Behind her were two girls, one of which could've been my age, the other a little younger. She smiled a sickly smile and spoke in an equally nasty voice. "Lily? Lily dear is that you? I know you don't recognize me- in fact, I'd be extremely surprised if you did. I am your mother. These are your stepsisters, Jessica and Katrina. I, _Baroness_ Naomi, have come to reclaim this estate."

As the memory of who she was came back to me, I was filled with rage. This fury has lasted through 7 years and shows no sign of abating because my mother has been forcing me to act as one of the house servants. Although the count and Sirius continue to support me, things have been going downhill since that day.


	3. Chapter 1

PLEASE REVIEW!

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Chapter One

_I really have no idea of what drove my father to love her...,_ I thought one morning as I awoke to the sound of a broomstick rapidly hitting the underside of the floor. It was just another boring, order-filled day in the life of Lily Evans, slave to her mother. This was getting really old and I wished she would stop.

"Lily! LILLLLY! I was thinking pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Oh, and be sure to get us some fresh-squeezed orange juice, too, darling. Come come now, we haven't got all day. Get off your lazy ass and bring us our food!" My "mother" said, her impatience clearly seeping into her voice. I rolled my eyes but got up all the same, stretching my arms above my head. Going downstairs, I met up with our other servants and began cooking breakfast. I brought the food to my mother's table and was met with my usual glares although no one said anything to me.

After that tedious ordeal was done, I went to Sirius's house to start our daily morning routine.

"Ah, good morning, Lily. Come to wake Sirius, have you? Well, you know where to find him. And, Lily...have things with your mother improved?" Count Cedric inquired as he opened the door. His brown hair was somewhat askew and falling into his hazel eyes. The blue housecoat he was wearing was loosely tied and falling off one shoulder, revealing a white linen shirt. Although the count had many servants, whom he treated kindly, he still preferred to open the door himself.

"Uh, well things haven't gotten any worse if that's what you mean," I replied with a weak smirk and a shrug. Count Cedric opened the door further and allowed me into his home. The walls of the foyer were painted blue with creamy white sponge prints. The gold wainscot depicted a musical score that when played appropriately sounded like _Small Overture_, composed by Bob Mathews. Oil paintings of ocean views hung at regular intervals around the room, each more detailed and beautiful than the last. Flanking the grand staircase before me were two life-size sculptures of golden lions, both of which were caught in a magnificent roar as if protesting their imprisonment. I calmly rushed up the stairs preparing my assault on Sirius. I enjoyed coming up with different ways to wake my somnolent companion. Since he was such a heavy sleeper, my plans were quite complex but not hard to accomplish. I had just settled on an idea and began opening the tall door to Sirius's room when he came tumbling out from behind a nearby portrait. At first glance, the portrait appeared normal but I knew better. If one were to make the inhabitant of the frame sneeze, a secret passage opened that branched out in many directions and led to many mysterious destinations.

"Well _that's_ an interesting place to fall asleep," I said, helping him to his feet. "Wouldn't a bed be much more comfortable?" He smiled and I noticed that something was different about his clothes. They seemed more noble, if that were possible. All the same, I pushed the thought to the back of my mind for later examination.

"I suppose so, but doesn't a dank and dreary tunnel appeal more to you? I mean, the rats make quite cozy pillows when you lie on them just the right way," he replied as we entered his room.

Sirius's room, though almost twice the size of mine, appeared rather small due to the amount of space he dedicated to his favorite pastimes. He himself had erected a paper wall dividing his room into work and play. The side we were now on had dark grey walls that chilled and comforted at the same time. His large bed was covered in a black, down comforter and had a small bookshelf next to it with a lamp on it. In the corner next to a grand window sat a comfortable, black armchair flanked by two tall bookshelves, each packed with the latest novels. In contrast to this darker, quieter side was the vibrant, "play" side. The walls on this side were a soft, baby blue and had a few voluminous and specially textured clouds painted here and there. There were two short bookcases against the far wall that held not books, but music scores. The left bookcase was devoted to his violin music while the other was devoted to cello music. His broomstick was in its case on the opposite wall, looking ever so noble as it caught the light.

I made my way over to his broom and gently ran my hand down it. Thoughts of the wind in my hair and the freedom of the skies entered my mind as a mischievous glint reached my eyes. Sirius and I were quite competitive when it came to flying and I had the urge to make up for my bad morning. I turned back towards him, hand still holding his broom. He noticed my glint immediately.

"Hey, Siri…wanna go for a ride?"

Flying was my calling. If I could do nothing else well, I could at least fly. My long red hair whipped about my face even from my ponytail. I looked behind me to see Sirius putting on a surge of speed to catch up with me. We flew side by side in a gentle silence until he broke it.

"So…what's been on your mind lately, Lily?" he said, casually tossing his hair from his face.

"sigh Nothing really. But I am curious as to why you were in the tunnel when I came to wake you this morning." He chuckled and pushed his hair from his face. _Hm…_, I thought. _Sirius only does that when something is wrong…_

"Nothing to fear, Miss Evans. While exploring the other tunnels, I got a little lost and had just only found my way back when you arrived."

"That doesn't explain your entrance…and what was with your clothes?" I eyed him suspiciously, expecting a good answer. Sirius very rarely lied to me so I also expected the truth. He chuckled again.

"I suppose I may have been getting a tiny bit frantic when I couldn't find my way. You know, the king is throwing a masquerade ball in the coming months.…"

He was hiding something and I knew it. Even if what he had been telling me had been the truth, it surely wasn't all of it. As we calmly flew over a large, clear lake and more lush forests, something in my gut told me there was more going on and more to happen.

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hehe blacksolace(346) here to say a few words.

PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED 2 KNO HOW YOU LIKED IT!

And please review on the following topics if you have something to say about it….

---I hope you all liked the chapter. I know I had a strong prologue, but I wasn't so sure about this 1st chap….so LEMME KNO.

---I think I got a little too descriptive in some places, so if you think I did, LEMME KNO.

Well yeah. And criticism and any other comments are welcome as always.

(check out my other story, Mixed Relations…..)


	4. Chapter 2

**_Srry it took so long to write! A big project was comin up in school and I unfortunately had 2 devote more of my time 2 it than I wanted to. But I found a way to finish this chap so here it is! Ph, and ch3 might take a little while 2, bcause exams and testing are coming up 2…hand bhind head_ **

**imma give you all a bit of background on the story itself.**

**They don't go to Hogwarts…yes, I kno it may come as a shock, but in this story, they don't. Since this story is somewhat based off a movie, Ever After, the school factor wouldn't work. Actually, according to their ages, they would be out of school anyway (Lily is 17, Sirius is 18, and the other character soon to be mentioned in this chapter is also 18). Oh and Lily's step-sisters are 18 and 15. They come in later in the chapter…**

**This story doesn't take place in the time of the marauders, either. It takes place in the 16th century according to Ever After. Hence the 'count' and 'baroness' stuff. **

**And you may find that there are a few characters that are missing. That is because I figured it would be best if I left them out. **

**And they are capable of magic. It's just that it's not used so much in the story. I think I'll use more magical possessions than magic itself…Lily is still a muggle with magic and Sirius is still a pure blood, as is the newest character.**

**I hope that none of this changes your opinion of this story ' hand bhind head**

**ON ITH THE CHAPTER!**

Chapter 2

After a few more hours of lazily flying about and a few random games of broomstick tag, Sirius and Lily found themselves sitting on the shore of a lake they had flown over earlier. The early evening sun reflected brilliantly off the surface of the calm lake, the sky with just a twinge of orange and red. The magnificent palace of the royal family could easily be seen over the tops of the trees in the distance.

Lily watched with mild interest as Sirius pulled something from his pocket and messed with it for a few minutes. As he put it back into his pocket and looked to the forest across the lake, she turned my thoughts inward.

_Well I suppose didn't tell me isn't all that important anyway. Besides, if it were truly important, I would know by now. But then why does my stomach still hurt so much? Hm…who is that?_

Someone had emerged from the forest on the opposite shore and caught sight of Sirius and her. He waved, cast a spell on a leaf on the lake, and stepped into it as it grew in size. He silently made his way across the lake. Lily had no idea who it was and so looked to Sirius for an answer. He merely smiled and stood up, awaiting this stranger.

"Oh yeah, Lils, I was expecting company," he said as the stranger stepped onto the shore and made his way over to them. His messy, black hair kept falling into his hazel eyes from behind a pair of glasses. He gave a rather lopsided grin and made his way over to Sirius. They exchanged friendly greetings and a few quick words before coming to Lily. _They seem to know each other pretty well…_she thought.

"Lily, this is my good friend, Duke James Potter. James, this is my cousin, Countess Lily Evans," he lied. It was an agreement made long ago that if Sirius and she ran into someone of higher status than her's, she would pass as his cousin and a countess.

James leaned forward to shake her hand and paused.

**Meanwhile, back at Lily's house…**

Baroness Naomi watched with dull eyes and sharp ears as her two daughters made plans for their future.

"…And after the prince and I get married, I'll move into the palace and be the queen. Queen Jessica…yes that has such a lovely ring to it! Then we'll have lots of children and live happily ever after. sigh"

"Well, after the prince and _I_ get married, _I'll _be the queen. I think Queen _Katrina_ sounds better than Queen Jessica."

"You twit, I'm the eldest so _I'll_ be the one to marry him. You can be my…hand maiden. Don't worry. I'll take care of you and mother, too." Jessica said, flashing her mother a grin from where she sat on the other side of the room. Naomi smiled back and pretended to no longer pay attention as she opened an edition of the local paper, the headline of which didn't pass the notice of the younger daughter.

"Jessy, look!" Katrina called, jumping to her feet and pointing at the headline. "Look, a BALL! The king's throwing a ball for the prince! Lemme see! Lemme see!" She reached for the paper but Jessica, who had been snapped out of her shock by her sister's movement, grabbed it first. Her eyes pored over the article in search of details.

"It says," she read," that the king is indeed throwing a ball for his son. 'It is time that the Prince had a bride. I believe he is old enough to make his own decision and he will make it at the ball.' That's what the king had to say about it. Oh mother, this is PERFECT! Exactly the opportunity we've been waiting for!"

Naomi smiled and finally spoke up. She indeed had already seen the article and was waiting for her daughters to notice. She wanted one of them to be queen as badly as they did. The baroness was power hungry and craved the power that would be given to her if a daughter became queen. "Yes, Jessica, it is. Now come, ladies. We must go the market to buy your gowns for that night! When is the ball, my dear?"

"In a month. On the night before the Prince's birthday. Yes, mother, we have no time to lose!"

Naomi concealed a smile as another idea came to mind. _Interesting…_

**Back at the lake…..**

James thought he was seeing an angel. The way the evening sun shone on her skin and through her hair gave her a heavenly appearance. Her beauty surpassed any he had ever seen in his years of manhood. Upon noticing this, he had instantly frozen, paralyzed by her enchanting appearance, but he shook himself from his reverie. Lily gave him an inquisitive look as he extended his hand the rest of the way and shook her hand. He shuddered when he touched her hand.

Sirius cleared his throat with a smirk on his face. "So, James, how've you been? I haven't seen you in a…while."

"Uh, I'm fine. Everything's fine," he said taking a seat next to Sirius, knowing it would be dangerous to sit next to Lily. "So uh…what do y'all wanna do? We still got a few hours of sunlight so how do you want to spend them?"

"How about a race? On broomsticks, of course. Around the forest?" Lily proposed. Once again, she had the craving of the wind in her hair. She also wished to show off in front of Sirius's friend, knowing that she was quite fast on her broomstick.

James paused again at the sound of her voice. He thought he was hearing heaven.

"Yeah, a race sounds great, Lils! Up for the challenge, James? Lily here is pretty fast." Sirius said, smirk still on his face. James woke at the challenge.

"Let's go." James raised his wand, summoning his broom as Sirius and Lily hopped onto theirs.

"Two laps around the entire perimeter of this forest," Sirius announced. "The finish line is back here at the lake. The winner gets…..the winner gets…"

"The winner gets a kiss," Lily said finishing his statement. "But since the winner'll be me, I guess it's all good! Mark, set, GO!" She took off through the trees before the guys could regain their senses.

"Well then…the race is on!" James shouted, following after Lily. Sirius just shook his head as he flew above the treetops after his friends.

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Lily had just completed her first lap and was in the lead when she heard another flier come up behind her. _That's probably Sirius_...she thought. _I don't know how fast James is, but Sirius is usually almost as good as I am…_She stole a glance behind her and almost fell off her broom from what she saw. _He…caught up?_ Behind her was James, a determined look on his face. He caught up with her and poked her as he whispered "Tag, you're it." He flashed a lopsided grin and disappeared to her right. Lily blinked at his boldness before setting after him. She never backed down from a challenge and caught sight of him again within seconds.

James hadn't meant to do that. But when she looked back at him, the fire in her emerald eyes compelled him to make a move. He couldn't resist the impulse. Not with her. So here he was, flying along at an almost neck-break pace with this fiery angel behind him. Oh the situations he got himself into.

She was gaining. He could tell by her humming. Yes, humming. No tune he recognized easily. _Perhaps something Sirius played…_, he thought, absent-mindedly slowing down. He could hear her smile in her humming. _Such a beautiful sound…_He felt a tap on his shoulder and was once again brought out of his trance.

"Hello James. You're it now." She said before speeding away again, smile still on her lips.

He would have melted there, but something stirred in his memory. _The winner gets a kiss…_

Lily weaved her way between the tree trunks, red hair flapping madly across her equally red face. She had been unintentionally flirting. She shook her head as she brushed aside these thoughts as well as her blush. She had to focus now because she could already feel him catching up. Her years of having a passion for Quidditch had sharpened her senses. Lily could also tell she was nearing the end of the race. An idea came to her and she was quick to execute it.

_What is she doing?_ James wondered as he followed her into a steep climb. The unsuspected move surprised him so he lost a few feet on her. He watched in wonder as she spiraled above him and suddenly lost her grasp on her broomstick. He noticed her look of fear as she plummeted to the earth below past him. Without a second thought, he entered a dangerous dive to catch her. He reached incredible speeds and realized that if he pulled out of his dive too late, both he and Lily would be dead…unless Sirius intervened. _Even then_, James thought,_ I would want him to save Lily…_

Sirius had been behind them the entire time, just out of earshot. He wanted to allow them time to get to know each other and so stayed back. He too watched as Lily began her ascent and as she lost her grip on her broomstick. He would have rushed forward to safe her if he had not seen James rush instead. Almost desperate, Sirius searched for a way to help, knowing that both his friends could very well die in this incident. It was then that he noticed that they were over the lake. Though it was hardly better than them falling over land, Sirius was encouraged by this and reached into his back pocket for his wand.

_Great time to not have your wand_, Lily and James thought simultaneously. Lily kept tossing and turning in the air. She seemed to be falling forever, yet she knew her descent would end soon enough. Whether in James's arms or in the cold embrace of the ground, she was going to land. She could see James diving towards her and stretched her arms out to him. When he was right below her, he let go of his broom and caught her as she fell into his arms, staring into his hazel eyes as he stared into her emerald ones. Suddenly their downfall was slowed by an invisible force and they gently landed on the shore of the river. James's broom landed with a thump beside him as he continued to hold Lily to him, still staring into her eyes.

They were still standing that way a few minutes later when Sirius strolled into the clearing, twirling his wand between his fingers. He cleared his throat and had to hide his smirk when his two friends sprung apart.

"Uh, Sirius! Was that, was that you? With the saving? You did that?" Lily asked, wrenching her gaze from James while sidestepping him to stand in front of Sirius.

"I may've done a little something…but I do believe that I was the winner of the race, seeing as how I had to save the both of your butts…"

She smiled and gave Sirius a peck on the cheek. Nothing of real consequence, though it left James almost as red as Lily's hair with both embarrassment at being caught with her still in his arms and jealousy at not being the victor of the race. Yet something told him that he would have plenty more opportunities ahead of him…


End file.
